


Love Isn't Easy

by Bam4Me



Series: Naive But Trying [1]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Animagus!Harry, Aromantic!Draco kind of, Aromantic!Harry, Asexual!Harry, Cat!Harry, Gen, Legilimency, M/M, Mama McGonagall, Minerva harbored Sirius in her house for 12+ years after the incident, No Voldemort, Not Enemies Harry and Draco, Or At Least He Died A While Ago, Owner!Draco, Pet Play, This is a sequel and prequel will be posted later, asexual!Draco, kitten play, kitten!Harry
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-11-27
Updated: 2015-11-27
Packaged: 2018-05-03 14:54:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,085
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5295572
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bam4Me/pseuds/Bam4Me
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The thing about letting someone find their animagus so early in life, is that it's no longer an extension of yourself, it's like telling your child to choose between human, and not.</p><p>Thing is, not all parents know that. In fact, pretty much only the ones who had made this mistake, DO know, and most of them hate themselves because of it.</p><p>Harry's lucky, his family is understanding and don't try to force anything on him, but, it's still like a punch to the gut, when your child chooses the one that's not human. It doesn't mean Harry's family is going to give up on him though.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Love Isn't Easy

**Author's Note:**

  * For [bafflinghaze](https://archiveofourown.org/users/bafflinghaze/gifts).



> I know, you probs think this is gonna be angsty, it's not. A little bit sad in a way towards the end, but a happy ending.
> 
> http://bafflinghaze.tumblr.com/post/133585128108/draco-petting-kittenharry-for-harrypottergays Fanart there.

 

Harry was living the life.

 

Voldemort was a thing of the past, and Dumbledore didn’t seem all that interested in manipulating him right now, which is freaking awesome, and even Snape had fucked off for now.

 

It was warm and sunny out right now, an oddity for early September in the UK, but a delight, none the less. He stretched back on the smooth stone in the courtyard he was lying on, yawning in the warmth.

 

He probably shouldn’t sleep the day away, but, it actually wasn’t that that bad of an idea. His human form still had the worst insomnia you could imagine, and sometimes, napping the day away as a cat was the only way he actually _could_ sleep.

 

His eyes fluttered back open when a shadow passed over him, eyes looking up to see a blonde staring down at him in amusement. Harry meowed in upset.

 

_Go away, Malfoy, I’m sleeping._

 

Draco just grinned though, making Harry close his little mouth in surprise. Draco did that now days, you know, smiling and all, and it was kind of weird, and it made him feel all kinds of fluffy inside.

 

Ugh, he must have swallowed another hairball.

 

_Go away before I hock something up on you. I’ll do it too, I did it to George last week when he wouldn’t go away while I was sleeping. Are you listening to me?_

 

The blonde crouched down, one long fingered hand reaching out to trail along Harry’s side. “You know, Potter, even as a kitten, you’re still a chatty little thing. Much less annoying, though.”

 

Harry nearly scoffed, _Shut up, I am fierce and have sharp teeth. And why are you petting me?! I_ literally _did not ask, rude._

 

Harry cut himself off when his little chest let out the loudest rumbling purr, head falling back onto the stone. Draco just grinned at him, looking triumphant.

 

“You know, if you’re still trying to keep this from the ministry, you should really ask McGonagall to put one of the stray Gryffindor collars on you. Then people will at least think you’re just some random kitten running about.”

 

It was a system they devised after realizing how many ‘stray’ animals that Hogwarts actually had in it, fitting the strays with collars so they could get back into their houses that they most frequented without needing a human to let them in. It was smart, considering there were literally hundreds of kittens running around at any given moment.

 

_If I did that, it would make things easier. You know that’s not my style._

 

Draco chuckled, making Harry do a mental inventory of his head, to see if Malfoy had crept into there with him. When Draco wasn’t found though, Harry let out a meow, standing back up and taking a few cautious padding steps to the Slytherin. He stood on his back legs, front ones settling onto Draco’s knees.

 

He leaned forward, sniffing the blonde a few times. Mama and Uncle Sirius said that he could tell a lot of things about a person by their smell, but Harry wasn’t sure if anything was wrong. It’s not like he went around sniffing him all the time or anything.

 

Well, there was the occasional sniff, but, Draco wore very nice cologne, and Harry couldn’t help it.

 

He smelled fine now though, so Harry just cocked his head at him, looking upset, until Draco’s fingers slid back into his fur, making him close his eyes again, purring loud.

 

He hadn’t even noticed he was being picked up, till the petting changed, one arm tucked around him, while the other scratched at his chin.

 

_What are you doing to me?_

 

“Calm down, Potter, I’m not kidnapping you.”

 

Harry meowed indigently, _Like I’d_ let _you! Where are you taking me?_

 

Draco sighed, slowing down before he approached Zabini and Parkinson. Harry started to fuss in his arms, wondering if he’d get in trouble for transforming back in the court yard. Probably.

 

“Hush hush, stop fussing, please. I’m taking you back to your mama, don’t worry.”

 

Harry stopped squirming, _Mama? Why’s Mama want me?_

 

Draco looked at him with concentration for a minute before Harry felt a gentle prod at his mind, “I have no idea what she wants you for, Potter. I assume whatever she wants you for is usual parent things, huh? Whenever my mother asks for me, it’s usually to prod at my social life.”

 

Harry let out a meow, reaching up one paw to pat at Draco’s cheek in condolence, making the blonde give him a shocked look. _Mama doesn’t prod, but she makes me brush my hair and eat all my veggies, and that’s awful too. I understand._

 

Draco stopped short, still in Harry’s mind with him, doubling over completely in laughter while his friends, still at least ten feet away, looking at him in concern.

 

Finally, Draco pulled up, an amused kitten in his arms and got the rest of the way to the other Slytherins.

 

“For some reason, Harry, I’m not completely sure those are comparable, but thank you. I know now, that you have gone through atrocities as well. We have now bonded over pain.”

 

While Blaise and Pansy gave each other worried looks, Harry leaned up to nose at Draco’s cheek, _We have. I feel your pain._

 

Draco couldn’t hold back his snort at that, eyes crinkling at the corners he was so amused. He pulled the kitten back to his chest, cooing down at him before turning to look back up at the others. “What?”

 

Blaise shrugged, “I just didn’t expect that he would actually let you pick him up, though.”

 

Pansy shook her head, “No, I did. He let Mana pet him for a whole two hours on Monday when she wasn’t feeling well. He‘s actually very nice… well, to the younger kids, at least. He demanded that she feed him, though, but she seemed happy enough to do it.”

 

Harry meowed at her, _Well, I had skipped lunch to let her play with me. She distracted me with feathers and catnip. I was high as balls._

 

Draco just snickered a little, “Merlin, you should tell the younger kids not to use catnip on him, he’s still a 7th year and has classes to go to. Wait, is that why you were staring off into space yesterday, you were high?”

 

Harry didn’t even vocalize this time. He actually didn’t remember most of yesterday. He just looked Draco dead in the eye and nodded, making the blonde dissolve into snickers again.

 

***

 

Okay, so, it’s like, the _rational_ part of Harry’s mind was telling him that Draco Malfoy shouldn’t be messed with. Even with Death Eaters being so few and far between now days, his aunt was still one of them, and Harry wasn’t sure if his father was or not, he was still a dangerous person to be _around_.

 

But yet, here he was, pacing outside the Slytherin common room while the portrait gave him weird looks.

 

He still didn’t have a collar on his neck to get into the common rooms, but he was hopeful that someone would come by and help him.

 

Well, either that, or Mama or Uncle Sirius –or Remus- would come by, recognize him, and carry him back to his and Mama’s quarters like a naughty kitten.

 

It had happened before.

 

The portrait swung open, letting a first year out, and Harry nearly startled her into dropping her library books. Harry ignored the yelp though, getting into the common room triumphantly.

 

He looked around, suddenly unsure of himself when he realized Draco wasn’t in the immediate vicinity, letting out a sad groan.

 

“Are you for real, right now?”

 

Harry turned and jumped up again, getting excited when he saw Parkinson on the couch, sitting with Blaise while they did homework. Blaise was giving him the most shocked stare while Pansy grinned. So, they recognized him, apparently. He put one tiny paw on each of their legs, letting out the most piteous yowl at his predicament.

 

They would help him.

 

Blaise sighed, standing up, “I’ll go get Draco.”

 

_Good human._

 

When Draco came into the room with Blaise, they both stood there for a minute, seeing Harry’s tiny kitten form, leaning against Pansy’s knees with his teeny paws, yowling pathetically while Pansy cooed at him, telling him that it was okay, he was okay now.

 

Draco wasn’t sure if she was in his head at the moment, but Harry didn’t seem to care either way, chattering on to her like she could fully understand him and all his woes.

 

Draco couldn’t hold back the snort going to kneel next to the kitten while Blaise sat down to finish his essay. “Hey, Harry.”

 

Harry almost didn’t hear him over his own loud tale of woe, until Draco placed one cautious hand on the back of Harry’s neck, nearly jumping when Harry turned and leapt at him. He didn’t attack him though, tiny paws tightening around his neck before a little head pushed under his chin.

 

He stood back up, Harry held upwards against his chest while Blaise snorted, “I told you he was looking for you.”

 

Draco rolled his eyes, letting the cat snuggle up to him, purring like a little motor boat against his chest. “Yes, I think I see that now. Any indication as to why?”

 

The both shook their heads. “Well,” Pansy trailed off a little, “he seems distressed about something…”

 

Draco nodded, wedging himself into the spot between the two of them on the couch, holding the kitten back to look him in the eye. “Do you want to tell me why you were so upset?”

 

_Couldn’t find you._

 

Draco’s eyebrows went up, “But… why were you-”

 

_You’re supposed to pet me!_

 

Draco looked at the two on either side of him, wondering if they were getting this too. They seemed lost though, so he turned to look back at Harry. “I… I did not know that.”

 

Harry let out the cutest kitty huff, looking very abused, _Well, you are._

 

Draco could practically see his little cheeks, puffed up like he was going to throw a fit. Draco sighed, lowering the kitten so he was laying, back down, in the gap between Draco’s thighs. “Well, I guess, if that’s important to you.”

 

Harry nodded, already purring again at Draco’s fingers sliding through the fur on his belly. _It is._

 

***

 

Harry wasn’t sure if he should feel completely humiliated, or… what else was there?

 

Okay, so, he’s been an animagus for eight years now. Now, that’s a long fucking time, that means he was _nine_ when he got it.

 

He _should_ know how to control his animalistic side by now!

 

But… his –nearly nightly- tromps to the Slytherin dungeons to demand that Draco Malfoy –who’s not exactly his _friend_ but not really his enemy either, more like, that one kid that you talk shit about constantly, but if anyone else says anything about them, you defend them, because that’s _your_ job, to make fun of them, not anyone else’- of all the people in the world, pet him.

 

Harry couldn’t really look Draco in the eye while human anymore though.

 

And… Draco keeps staring at him, like he expects Harry to transform in the middle of a class and demand his attention or something. Weirdo.

 

I mean, just cause Harry’s thought about it, doesn’t mean he’d do it.

 

Harry frowned though, sitting across the room from his usual spot, next to Draco and his friends. He was getting odd looks, but Hermione and Ron followed his lead, taking spots close to him. It was History of Magic, and only Hermione and a few others actually paid attention here. “Did you tell the younger kids to stop giving me catnip?”

 

Draco raised an eyebrow at him. Harry rarely actually admitted to being an animagus where others could hear, still not wanting anyone to end up getting him registered. “It’s started bleeding over into your _other_ half. I’m pretty sure you don’t remember much of last Thursday, but you spent the majority of HoM, poking my hands and asking me why they were so soft.”

 

Harry nodded, “Okay, yeah, I mean, I _did_ , but that wasn’t catnip.”

 

“What?”

 

Harry shrugged, “Well, me and Ron where behind the Astronomy tower before this class, and there was this group of kids, ya know, real shady looking fellows and all that, they weren’t smoking, but they had this trey of brownies-“

 

Draco reached up a hand and covered Harry’s mouth with it, “I’m not sure I want to hear the rest of this story. I used to think you were so innocent.”

 

Harry gave him a bland look, before making an obvious gesture of licking Draco’s palm. Draco pulled back, a grossed out look on his face, making Harry scowl. “You’ll let me bite it when I’m not human, but you’re grossed out when I am? Creepy, Draco.”

 

Draco sighed, wiping his hand off and leaning forward on his other, “Yes, I asked the kids to stop getting you high.”

 

Harry outright pouted at that, making Draco give him an interested look. It was… very similar to the one Harry gave him as a cat. He smiled at him while Harry just pouted harder. “You’re like Mama, but worse.”

 

Draco let his forehead thunk onto the table, a pained look on his face, “That’s creepy, how you compare the person who pretty much feels you up on a daily basis, to your mother. Now who’s the creepy one?

 

Harry gave him the most genuinely confused look, “Wh-what? Mama pets me too, though?”

 

Draco sat up, giving him a look back, “You mean, you’re not… well, I’ve misread things.”

 

Harry looked down, upset, “Misread? What about though?”

 

Draco frowned, “You honestly don’t know?”

 

Harry shook his head, “No.”

 

Draco sighed, “I thought you were saying that you _liked_ me.”

 

Harry was confused, “But, I _do_ like you?”

 

Draco shook his head, “No, I mean like, _dating_ like.”

 

Harry’s brows furrowed, “I… Uncle Sirius says that I’m not allowed to date until I’m fifty.”

 

Draco’s jaw dropped. He _honestly_ wasn’t sure if Harry was for real right now. “Are, you… really?”

 

Harry nodded, looking sad, “Can’t date, it’s okay though, don’t want to.”

 

Draco felt his stomach drop a little, “O-oh? You, don’t want to?”

 

Harry shrugged, “Dating involves like, kissing and holding hands, right?”

 

Draco nodded, feeling a little upset in his stomach. From his experience, pretty much everyone wanted more than that. “I guess. I mean, it doesn’t _have_ to, but it can.”

 

Harry’s nose scrunched up, “I don’t want that. ‘s gross.”

 

Draco shrugged, “Well, it…” he trailed off, sounding quiet, “doesn’t have to.”

 

Harry nodded, “That’s good then. You want to date me?”

 

Draco looked away, face flushed, “Well… yeah. Kind of, at least.”

 

Harry nodded, “Well, as long as there’s no kissing. I mean, you can pet me all you want, but, only as a cat. Otherwise, that’s just gross.”

 

Draco couldn’t wipe the fond smile off his face, “Not even on the cheek?”

 

Harry honestly thought about that for a moment, before shrugging, “Sure. That doesn’t sound too horrible.”

 

***

 

Draco had nothing wrong with Harry’s family… two of them were his teachers since first year, and the other one was his second cousin.

 

But…

 

They were fucking scary, alright?

 

Draco felt paralyzed in his seat, waiting for Harry to get out of his room, so they could go to the Ravenclaw party in a half hour. But… they were all staring at him…

 

“So, is this like… the shovel talk?”

 

Remus snorted, “No no, we’re not going to threaten you. But, we _are_ curious.”

 

Sirius rolled his eyes at his husband, “What he’s _trying_ to say, is that Harry isn’t exactly a normal case, ya know?”

 

Draco visibly cringed, shoulders coming up, “Um, I’m not sure that I do.”

 

Minerva took over, “What they’re skirting around, is that Harry spends the majority of his time, in his animagus form. We’re confused as to why this appeals to you, and of course, protective, because this leaves Harry very unprotected the majority of the time. Not only that, but while in his animagus, he thinks differently, he might not _realize_ if something was wrong with your relationship. We only want to know what your intentions are, Draco.”

 

“My intentions… what do I want from him?” Draco looked downwards towards the side table next to the couch, hands wringing together, “I… understanding. I love that he understands.”

 

Remus looked at Sirius for a moment, before going back to Draco, “What does he understand, Draco?”

 

Draco floundered for a minute, mouth moving silently while he couldn’t find the words. When he looked back up at them, he looked lost, and more than slightly broken. “Understands, that you don’t need to hold someone’s hand, or let them touch you like most couples do, to love them. That neither of us are broken because we don’t want it.”

 

Draco looked back down, not wanting to see if any of them had pity on their faces. He’d seen that enough on other students he’d dated when he said he wouldn’t sleep with them. He didn’t want it here either.

 

He heard a tiny ringing from the hallway though, and looked up to see Harry, bounding out into the living room with them, fur brushed till it shined and a beautiful multi coloured collar on his neck. Draco scooped the little thing up into his lap and went to inspect the collar, “Did your mama give you this collar? It’s got all the house colours on it, will it work on all the common rooms?”

 

Harry nodded distinctively at him. The collar didn’t have a tag, but there was a little bell on the ring, making Draco smile at it. “Are you going to make me take you there like this?” The cat nodded again, tiny head pushing into Draco’s neck for a nuzzle, and Draco just grinned, standing back up off the armchair with him, “well, I could ask for lesser dates.”

 

***

 

Harry was such a good kitty.

 

He always made sure that Draco pet him at least once a day, to show how much he cared about him. And last week! Last week, Harry left him presents. Monday was a half eaten birdy –it was half eaten because Harry got hungry- and Draco screamed, like, _really_ loud about it, and then he threw it out the window. Harry got mad and didn’t leave him anything else for a day, but Draco gave him a catnip ball to play with the next day, and so, the day after that, Harry left him a dead mouse in his shoe.

 

Draco didn’t say anything about that one, but, he looked a little weird for the rest of the day. Like, like, his face was all green like when someone mentions spiders to Ron. It was worrisome, Harry had to pet _him_ that day.

 

On Thursday, well… Thursday’s gift was a _special_ one.

 

“How the hell is he even getting in here without us noticing?”

 

Blaise looked over Draco’s shoulder at the smug looking kitten on the floor, eyes wide and kind of horrified. “What is that? I don’t think I’ve ever seen one of those before.”

 

Draco shrugged his shoulders, “Some sort of… fucked up pheasant? I don’t know, but it was still twitching a little a few minutes ago. Remind me not to introduce him to Father’s peacocks. Blaise, have I done something wrong?”

 

Blaise placed a hand on his shoulder consolingly, “No, not wrong. Just… well, I’m not sure.”

 

Draco nodded, looking a little green.

 

Harry was such a good kitty.

 

***

 

“You’re gonna fall, you know.”

 

The cat on the ledge just glared at Draco, making him shrug at her. Minerva just turned back to navigating the long narrow bridge with ease. “I’m not the one that let him get stuck, he’s his own person, and he climbed that tree himself. His fault he didn’t plan on getting stuck.”

 

Harry meowed piteously from the treetop at the end of the bridge, a little happier though, now that he saw Mama coming to rescue him. Draco could have just gone and gotten a broom, but Minerva was closer, and him and Harry had a ‘no using magic on me without my permission in my animagus form’ clause to their relationship.

 

Which, had only been added last week, after Draco had used a spell to dry him off from the rain, and ended up nearly shocking his cute little fuzzy butt instead.

 

Needless to say, Draco was going to use a towel to dry him off from now on.

 

When Harry was finally safe on the ground again, Draco let out a sigh of relief. That had been a lot more nerve wrecking than he thought it would be.

 

Draco held the kitten up, giving him a stern look, “Don’t do that again, you scared me.”

 

Harry just meowed and reached out to press a paw to Draco’s nose. _Sorry._

 

Draco grinned, too in awe of his tiny kitty to scold him anymore.

 

***

 

Harry was the cutest kitty ever. He knew this. It was _fact_.

 

Uncle Sirius and Uncle Remus… did not seem to agree right now.

 

Sirius sighed, holding Harry up by the tiny little scruff of his neck, “You think you’re so cute. Sitting over there like you _don’t_ know _exactly_ what you did.”

 

He set the kitten back down on the –now cleaned- table, ignoring the way that Draco was looking very amused right now, putting out a new set of dishware –after Harry came tearing through the first one.

 

“You know, you were the one that barked, I think you scared him.”

 

Sirius glared at Draco, “He wasn’t _scared_ , he’s being ornery right now.”

 

Draco sat back down and picked up the kitten, holding him to eye level, “What’s got you so unpleasant today?”

 

Harry mewed, reaching out grabby paws for Draco until the blonde pulled him close enough to snuggle. Draco did so, and nearly jumped when he looked up to see both others in the room giving them both an interested look. “What’s-“

 

“Oh, nothing, nothing.” Sirius shook his head a little, looking off to the side, “Just that…”

 

Draco looked to Remus for the answer, “Just that?”

 

Remus shrugged, “Well, I really doubt that after this year is up, Harry will want to keep living at Hogwarts with us and his mama…”

 

Draco’s brain stalled for a minute, “You mean… that, you’re both staying here?”

 

They shrugged, “We’ve been here for the last, what, nearly twenty-five years now? This is, well, it’s home. I really doubt Minerva will want to leave either.”

 

Draco nodded, absently petting Harry for a minute. “Wha-,“ he cleared his throat, “uh, what do you two think he’s going to be planning to do? You know, afterwards?”

 

Remus shrugged, “He hasn’t told us anything. See, that’s why we wanted to talk to you. We wanted to see if he’s told you anything.”

 

Draco nodded vacantly, before letting out a yelp when there was suddenly a much bigger weight in his lap. Harry was giving them all very un-amused looks. Harry neatly extracted himself from Draco’s arms, moving to the seat next to him. He was still in his pajamas that he’d been in that morning when Draco came to see him, so he’d probably spent most of the day in his animagus. “You know, _he_ has ears too.”

 

Sirius set another cup of tea in front of the teenager, “Well, one would think so, but he only seems to ever hear what he wants to.”

 

Harry ignored that, taking a prim sip from the cup, something that he had obviously picked up from his mother over the years. “Why do you all want to know what I want to do with my life, so much?”

 

Sirius sat back down, looking sad, “Harry, we’re your family. We just want you happy and safe.”

 

Harry looked away, staring off like he usually did when he wanted to be in his animagus form when he couldn’t. “I feel happy and safe here.”

 

“I’m not going to be staying here, Harry.”

 

Harry turned to give Draco an upset look, “Why should I care about that?”

 

Draco shrugged, “Well, I don’t know, probably because I want to be where you are?”

 

Harry nodded, “Then stay here. I don’t care, get Snape fired or something, and take over his job. Then you can stay here and everything will be the same.”

 

Draco wasn’t the only one that gave the teen a worried look at that. Sometimes Draco wonders if all that time he’s spent in his animagus has changed the way he looks at things.

 

It’s like he didn’t think like a human anymore.

 

“I don’t think I should do that, Har. I think I should leave, and you should, too.”

 

Harry looked away, an upset twist to his lips. “That’s stupid. It’s fine right here.”

 

Draco sighed, “Harry, I’m not staying here, and that’s final.”

 

Harry turned to give him a look, “You’re breaking up with me, then?”

 

“Well, we’re not really dating, now, are we?”

 

The room was quiet for a minute, before Harry spoke up again, sounding small and tired… confused. “I don’t understand. I thought we were?”

 

Draco’s eyes fluttered a little bit while he tried to keep the emotion back out. He couldn’t get upset right now, because if he did, he might yell at Harry, and Harry neither deserved it, nor would he understand it at the moment. He let out a deep breath. “Har, you’re more my pet, than my boyfriend. That’s not dating.”

 

Harry scrunched up his face, “Shut up, yes it is! People do this kind of thing all the time. Sometimes people want to be boyfriends, and sometimes they want to be pets, and sometimes they want to be both. I want to be both.”

 

Remus turned to give Sirius a look, “This sounds like the sort of thing that you would teach him.”

 

Sirius looked aghast, “I couldn’t even get him to listen to me through The Talk! You really think he’s going to let me explain to him the finer point of _lifestyle BDSM_ , Remus?”

 

Harry shook his head, “No no, Mione told me about it. She says that if I don’t want to be a human, I don’t have to, and as long as I’m safe, it’s fine. Draco is safe, I don’t understand what’s wrong with this.”

 

Draco felt his breath pick up at the young voice, and he nearly fell off the chair at the dizzy rush it gave him. He stood up anyways, getting out of the room, ears deaf to the voices around him.

 

He had to sit in the living room though, and wasn’t sure how long he’d been there until he felt someone sit next to him. He saw Remus there, a hand on his shoulder and quietly muttering to him to breath in and out.

 

It took a minute or two to get back into his head again. “I’m sorry.”

 

“It’s fine. You know, he will eventually say yes, he loves you. He’d never let you leave without him.”

 

“It’s not that. I just… why’s he like that. He was never like that before…”

 

Remus sighed, “The naivety, right?” Draco nodded. “Well, I think he’s been stunted by his consistent transformations. In the summer, he can spend days on end in that form. It’s why I no longer think children should be allowed to find their animagus. I used to be all for it. I though Sirius was so connected with his, and it was because he was young, but then I saw Harry. Now I’m just upset at the idea of letting children do it. It’s like we let him do this, and it wiped away half his future with it.”

 

Draco felt something wet on his face while he nodded, reaching up to wipe at the tears that he didn’t imagine would be there. “He doesn’t need a boyfriend. Maybe he should just stay here-“

 

“No! Gods no, Draco, this is good for him. He needs to get out, and learn the things he couldn’t learn here. He needs to learn to be human, and to rely on himself… or at least, choose the person he _wants_ to rely on for the rest of his life.”

 

Draco nodded again, sniffing. The tears seem to have stopped though, and he felt a little less numb. “He doesn’t need a boyfriend. He needs a caregiver.”

 

Remus nodded, “He does. I won’t deny that. Now, question is, is that what you want to be to him?”

 

Draco was quiet for another minute, thinking that over. “I think… I don’t think I care. I don’t care if I have to take care of him. I don’t care if I’ll never have a boyfriend, he obviously doesn’t care for one. Professor, I honestly just, _don’t care._ You know what I do care about, though? What I really, _really_ care about?”

 

“What?”

 

“Losing him. I don’t think I could handle losing him. I don’t care that he makes a mess, and gets stuck in trees more often than not. He’d probably kill half of my father’s peacocks without a second glance, and bring me their dead carcasses and expect me to smile about it. I just, I don’t _care_ about any of that. I’ll stick with it, because I want to stick with him.”

 

Draco nodded firmly to himself, decided. Padfoot came trotting into the room a second later, a tiny mewling bundle in his jaws, that he carefully set on Draco’s lap, before climbing up onto the couch next to Remus.

 

Draco could handle this. This was good. Harry mewed in his lap, snuggling into his hands, and Draco smiled. Yeah, this would work.

 

***

 

Their flat was big, though. Bigger than Harry was used to.

 

But…

 

“You know, you can’t be a street kitty here, Har.”

 

Harry pouted, a gesture that made Draco want to kiss his stupid face until he was happy again. He shook his head though, going back to unpacking the kitchen. “But I _like_ the outside. I can hunt there.”

 

Draco cringed, “How about I just buy you so many toys that you become spoiled rotten?”

 

Harry thought about that for a moment, “I might also accept this compromise.”

 

“Good.”

**Author's Note:**

> Bet you thought this would actually be a good fic. Nope.


End file.
